Everything is Sacred

enelysios @ 2009-09-10T08:31:00

2009-09-10T12:42:19Z

My dad got this in the mail from his insurance company:

Did you know... car-related injuries are by far the leading cause of death in teens? Getting your license is an exciting step for your teen, but many parents share with us their fears about the responsibilities and dangers of driving. With this in mind, it might be time to review whether or not you have life insurance coverage for young drivers.

Is it just me, or is that a bit creepy?

enelysios @ 2009-08-11T13:39:00

2009-08-11T17:51:26Z

New writing project is still eating my life.

Too many browsers

2009-07-08T19:04:04Z

Firefox has not let me log in to Livejournal since I started using it. Apparently Internet Explorer 8 doesn't like it either - so my former strategy of using IE for Livejournal and Twitter, and Firefox for everything else, no longer works. So now apparently my setup has to be IE for Twitter, Google Chrome for Livejournal, and Firefox for everything else. This really is unnecessarily complicated.

At least I seem to have figured out how to get Firefox to stop randomly refusing to open... and gotten rid of IE's frequent crashes...

I think my computer has browser issues.

At the pool today...

2009-06-17T21:23:28Z

...I overheard a preteen girl telling her credulous friends that she's a vampire.

"Can we see your fangs?" one girl asked.
"I don't have them. I'm a different kind of vampire."
"Do you only get them at night?"
"Yeah."
"Can we sleep over some time to see them?"

Twilight fans, I'm guessing. I wonder if she sparkles in sunlight.

enelysios @ 2009-05-13T12:39:00

2009-05-13T16:40:32Z

Three lightbulbs and two lamps have died in the month since I've started this new writing project. Coincidence?

I know they're bound to die eventually, but this rate of attrition seems quite high.

enelysios @ 2009-05-03T10:10:00

2009-05-03T14:15:57Z

All my life I've thought adulthood was that time in the future when I wouldn't cry, and I wouldn't get frustrated over minor things, and wouldn't be socially awkward, and would be infinitely adaptable and able to handle anything. When I would be the person who people kept wanting me to be, rid of all the problems that kept getting me into trouble.

So now that I know that's not going to happen, how will I know when I'm grown up?

enelysios @ 2009-05-01T18:46:00

2009-05-01T22:47:52Z

New writing project is eating my life.

enelysios @ 2009-04-30T16:25:00

2009-04-30T20:27:08Z

The real cause of swine flu (paraphrased):

“Swine flu is God’s judgment on the world for eating pork. But when I try to tell people this, they say I’m not being scientific. I love science! I’m a scientist! How come people who believe in God are never taken seriously??”

Sadly(?), I no longer have the original link.

enelysios @ 2009-04-17T19:06:00

2009-04-17T23:08:12Z

There are some days
when no matter what I say
it feels like
I’m far away in another country
& whoever is doing the translating
has had far too much to drink

- Brian Andreas

enelysios @ 2009-04-16T09:10:00

2009-04-16T13:26:42Z

We've misused our free will
And we've messed with the plan
We are fallen
Lost in the garden
- "Calling All Angels" by Eliza Gilkyson

I was listening to this the other day, and I started wondering... how do you misuse free will? Doesn't free will imply that there is no way to misuse it? That you can use it however you want? Morality is a different issue. It's not part of free will. The only way it's connected is that without free will, morality would be meaningless, because there would be no way to choose to act morally or otherwise. To say you can misuse free will is like saying it will be (or should be) taken away if you use it wrong, which sort of negates the concept of free will.

enelysios @ 2009-04-15T10:08:00

2009-04-15T14:24:40Z

A couple of weeks ago, I moved my computer downstairs into what was once Dad's bedroom; he's trying to resign himself to staying in California, and he said I could use the room for anything I wanted. After making sure he meant it, I set it up as an office for myself. Now that I've finally gotten my camera to talk to my computer, here's a picture of the new setup, for anyone who's interested:

enelysios @ 2009-04-06T14:03:00

2009-04-06T18:10:26Z

I just noticed something. There are the fundamentalist Christians who are opposed to evolution in general and, often, science in particular; then there are the people who think that the modern world, with all its teghnology, gets in the way of spirituality, and that the only way to truly live spiritually is to give up technology and live in harmony with nature. I knew both of these perspectives existed, of course; it just never occurred to me before now how parallel they were. Why is the divide between spirituality and technology such a persistent idea? I don't understand why there needs to be a divide in the first place.

enelysios @ 2009-03-16T16:19:00

2009-03-16T20:37:16Z

It's getting kind of strange how often I'm seen as younger than I am. Up until a few months ago, for instance, it used to be really hard for me to get oil delivered, because nobody there wanted to talk to me. They insisted on talking to my dad. Finding anything out from them - let alone trying to get them to show up at my house - was like pulling teeth. It's been a bit easier the last couple of times, I guess because they're getting used to dealing with me, but I'm still confused as to why it was an issue to begin with.

Okay, so maybe they're just used to dealing with my dad. But that isn't the only time it happens, by any means. Most recently, someone at the dump thought I was a teenager, there helping my parents out. I would have thought he was just used to seeing my dad, but my dad can't possibly know everybody at the dump, and even if they do know each other, he would have no way of associating me with my dad. I don't go to the dump with my dad; when he's home, he goes, and when he's not, I go.

According to Kylen, I do look fairly young; he says I could pass for 16. The funny thing about that is, I could pass for 16 when I was 13... which was nearly ten years ago.

It's a minor thing... but it confuses me. And sometimes it gets annoying to be treated like I'm younger.

enelysios @ 2009-03-03T20:42:00

2009-03-04T01:46:02Z

I just saw someone on a forum talking about how England is facing a crisis because real British people aren't having enough children and the only people having lots of children are (gasp) immigrants and the immigrants are going to take over the country and England is doomed.

*headdesk*

There are so many things wrong with that post that I don't even see any point in responding.

enelysios @ 2009-02-15T20:03:00

2009-02-16T01:04:54Z

Apparently I'm worse at figuring out accents than I thought. I talked to a woman on the phone the other day, and could tell she had a slight accent but couldn't tell what kind it was. I guessed Russian, or possibly Middle Eastern.

Then Kylen talked to her, and was easily able to figure it out. Apparently it was a French Canadian accent. x.x

Writer's Block: Heart to Heart

2009-02-14T12:16:30Z

Valentine's Day: love it or hate it?

View 500 Answers

Neither. It doesn't really matter to me one way or the other. I don't care about getting flowers or chocolates or whatever - what matters to me is the underlying relationship, and that's around all year. Besides, Kylen and I have never really celebrated Valentine's Day; our anniversary is two days after, and that's the more important of the two. (Even for that, we're likely to just hang around at home.)

enelysios @ 2009-02-07T17:00:00

2009-02-07T22:27:28Z

I've been reading my old (pen and paper) journals, from when I was fourteen, and I'm starting to get fed up with my younger self.

I mean, really, younger self, I love you and everything, but... was it really necessary to keep a record of every mood swing?

Or relate everything in your life to your latest obsessions?

Would it have killed you to write about the outside world every once in a while? I'm kind of curious as to what I actually did from day to day back then, since my memory doesn't tend to work very well for that sort of thing, and you are not obliging me.

And really... "I don't feel like writing right now. I'm too busy hating the world"? I like to think that I was not an angsty teenager. Help me preserve my illusions here.

enelysios @ 2009-01-29T08:03:00

2009-01-29T13:11:33Z

I am losing even more faith in the human race.

I thought the blog had to be fake, until I saw that the women had actually done an interview... Now I'm just confused, because I refuse to believe that blog is genuine.

Also, they're getting a book deal.

Meme from ordos45 and missy_chan

2009-01-25T11:26:31Z

My Political Views
I am a left social libertarian
Left: 5.76, Libertarian: 5.07

Political Spectrum Quiz

My Foreign Policy Views
Score: -6.58

Political Spectrum Quiz

My Culture War Stance
Score: -8.15

Political Spectrum Quiz

enelysios @ 2009-01-22T07:09:00

2009-01-22T12:10:00Z

Something to ponder: Someday, people will not know why computers have no A or B drives.

Meme from ordos45

2009-01-07T12:40:38Z

Your result for The Pop Culture Archetype Personality Test...

The Monk

Ninja, Monkey, Zombie, Cowboy

Monks are humanitarian prophets and seers with deep convictions about weighty matters and clear insights into good and evil. They are idealistic champions of the oppressed and downtrodden, seeking good things for all (and poetic justice when wrongs are done) without any thoughts of personal glory or power. Fluent in languages and nonverbal communication, their complex characters and depth of personal talent brings them into contact with many. Yet they are not easily fooled, and are suspicious of others motives, being highly selective about the close friends they make. Both empathic and enigmatic, they often withdraw into themselves to focus on abstract theories and think about the inner workings of their minds and emotions. Their desire to share feelings and conclusions with others generally keeps them bonded to at least a few allies, but they prefer to do much of their true thinking quietly, often becoming so absorbed in thought that they ignore physical reality altogether.

Monks are often plagued by Avoidant behavior, feeling intense social discomfort and timidity due to a fear of negative feedback about their actions. Easily hurt by criticism, they turn away from all but a few close friends, and avoid all others unless they are sure of being liked. They avoid social activities and are shy when forced into them, and fear embarrassment if they show emotion or anxiety in front of others. They will go so far as to exaggerate difficulties in performing ordinary activities in order to avoid them, yet yearn for acceptance and attention while avoiding those very things that might bring them what they crave.

Famous monk types include Jimmy Carter, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Carrie Fisher.

Take The Pop Culture Archetype Personality Test at HelloQuizzy

enelysios @ 2008-12-21T05:51:00

2008-12-22T02:09:17Z

We got power back Thursday afternoon, with a total of almost six days without power. Sorry I didn't update sooner; I was trying to recalibrate myself. Everyone else on my street got power back a couple of days before us, which was frustrating, to say the least... but somebody finally came to fix ours.

The ice storm felt kind of apocalyptic. I woke up early the first morning, and couldn't get back to sleep once I realized the power was out; I lay in bed listening to tree branches fall. And then I woke up and the phone was out too, and there were two huge tree branches across my driveway, one of which I couldn't lift. So I got kind of panicked, because my only connection to the world at that point was my cell phone and I knew eventually the battery would die. But luckily Kylen and his brother made it over to help clear away the branches so I could go get food (seeing as all my food was in the no-longer-cold refrigerator).

Kylen stayed with me for the week so he could help me with the generator and food and staying sane. We were both losing it by the end... especially when everyone else had power and the power company said ours had been restored and it wasn't. Between the woodstove and the generator, we managed to stay fairly warm, but everything is a whole lot harder when there's no electricity and hasn't been for days.

But we finally got it back, for which I am very glad.

enelysios @ 2008-12-15T13:31:00

2008-12-15T18:33:39Z

In case anyone is wondering why I haven't been online, NH got hit with an ice storm and I haven't had power for four days x.x Right now I'm using the internet at Barnes and Noble. I'll come back with a more detailed update when power and internet are back at my house... hopefully soon.

Meme

2008-12-11T17:31:31Z

Bold the things you've done, un-bold the things you haven't done.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (only the one in Paris, strangely enough)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (I may have, when I was a kid... I can't remember)
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Skied a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

enelysios @ 2008-12-10T18:05:00

2008-12-10T23:07:35Z

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

This year I've been busy!

Last Saturday I bought porn for missy_chan(-10 points). In August I helped anandimidehide a body (-173 points). Last Monday I pushed tohu_wa_bohuin the mud (-17 points). In October cloudshaper2kand I robbed a bank (-50 points). Last Sunday I punched crow_0v0in the arm (-10 points).

Overall, I've been naughty (-260 points). For Christmas I deserve a lump of coal!

Sincerely,
enelysios